I own a Silva and a Suunto, but not the exact same models you're thinking of buying.
The Silva compass was the first I ever bought (made the mistake of buying the Mils version ... I was only 15 years old or so when I bought it
). It's still going strong, it has picked up quite a bit of scars through the years, but it still works great.
The second one is a Suunto M3 global, which I bought last year. I like this one more than the Silva, but that isn't really fair to the Silva, since it's about 24 years older than the Suunto (and the Suunto is more expensive ...).
Pros and cons on the Suunto:
Pros:
- a very stable and fast needle (but this one is the global version, so the needle system is different than on the one you're looking at)
- awesome luminous bezel ring (again, not completely the same on your model)
- the bezel ring is easier to turn, and can be turned more precisely (again ...)
- the plate is quite a bit thicker and looks more robust than the one on the Silva.
Cons:
- red markings work great during the day, or when using a normal flashlight in the dark, but they are a pain in the *ss when you're using a red light to preserve your night vision ...
Here's a pic of all my compasses:
Greetings from Belgium
,
Eric
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